Local man, daughter find way to Super Bowl

So you know she was pumped for the AFC Championship game at New England. This one, of course, was for a trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

A Ravens' win also would punch Katelyn McCarthy's ticket to the Big Easy. Donning her signature Ray Lewis jersey, her dad promised her a Super Bowl ticket before the AFC title game if underdog Baltimore took out Brady and Belichick.

Baltimore came through — and what about Brian McCarthy? Katelyn, 14, a freshman at Monroe-Woodbury High School, will join her dad Sunday in New Orleans for the Super Bowl.

"It's so unbelievable, I'm so happy for Katelyn. She is the happiest girl in the world," said Brian McCarthy, 39, who works as a driver for UPS in Chester. "This is the whole nine yards. She loves the Ravens and I would do anything for her to see this game. I was ready to take out a loan for the tickets."

That wasn't necessary because — get this — McCarthy landed two free tickets to Super Bowl XLVII. Prepared to spend about $1,500 a pop for them, McCarthy reached out to a few of his friends in advertising to see what they could score. If he didn't hear anything by Wednesday, he was plunking down his own cash, no matter how much green it took.

On Tuesday of this week, McCarthy got the call. One of his friends had two tickets on the house. McCarthy touched down in New Orleans with two friends Friday.

One happy Katelyn will join him Sunday.

"It's really hard to get tickets, so I didn't think this was possible," Katelyn McCarthy said. "I'm really grateful that my dad did this for me. It means a lot. All of my classmates think I'm so lucky to be going. Some of them don't even believe me."